SLIDESHOW: Michael Taylor: Particles — Something Out of Nothing

Glass artist Michael Taylor explores the unity of opposites, the beauty of geometry and the "Through the Looking Glass" paradoxes of modern physics. Through Feb. 26at Alfstad& Contemporary, 1419 5th Street; 366-6400.

Michael Taylor's "Quantum Disorder"

Quantum Disorder

Newtonian physicists thought that reality got simpler as you drilled down to the smallest level. Logically, atoms and molecules resemble billiard balls! They really don't. Solid objects are neither here nor there, as any hip contemporary physicist can tell you. Taylor's blue glass sculpture, for example. Drill down to the quantum level, and its apparent simplicity breaks down to complexity and chaos. A quantum disordered system, in other words. But pretty.

Michael Taylor's "God Particle, Higgs Boson"

According to quantum theory, the Higgs Boson (aka "The God Particle") gives normal matter its mass, hints of twisted symmetry to dark matter, and creates the trippy effect of a black light on an Day-Glo poster on the electroweak interaction. (Comparisons include rainbows, prisms, ripples and objects moving through molasses.) Like its namesake, the God particle has never been observed in the laboratory. It probably doesn't look like this beautiful sculpture. (Full title: "God Particle, Higgs Boson, Suspend in Time and Space for Eternity")

(Full title: "God Particle, Higgs Boson, Suspend in Time and Space for Eternity")

Michael Taylor's "Geometrical Tides"

This static piece evokes the geometry of movement. The blue shards pivot on a central axis like a time-lapse photo of a cheerleader's wrist twirling a baton, Duchamps' "Nude Descending a Staircase" or the motion-blurred flap of a bird's wing. (Full title: "He Lost Himself, in the Geometrical Tides as the feathers now broadened and stiffened, to make an edge for flight.")

Michael Taylor's "Robotic Twister Device"

Most human artifacts are nailed, glued, screwed, fused, soldered or welded together from bits and pieces. But nature's crystals are self-assembling -- and endlessly fascinating. Consciously or unconsciously, artists (especially jewelers) imitate their forms. Taylor seems to be doing that here. At first glance, this looks like a ruby outcropping. But the piece is clearly made of pieces -- assembled by Taylor, obviously.